PennDOT Issues REAL ID Update As Implementation Approaches

PENNSYLVANIA — Authorities at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation have issued a REAL ID update, just as the one-year mark for implementation approaches.

"PennDOT reminds customers that in exactly one year, on October 1, 2020, federal enforcement of the REAL ID Act will begin at airports and secure federal facilities nationwide," the update said.

So far, more than 400,000 Pennsylvanians have gotten their REAL ID. That's less than half of the total number of REAL IDs PennDOT expects to issue prior to the 2020 deadline.

Residents who have not yet obtained their REAL ID are encouraged to begin planning to do so.

"Based on data from other states with optional REAL ID programs, PennDOT anticipates that approximately 1.3 million of its customers will get a REAL ID before the federal enforcement deadline of October 1, 2020."

After that date, a federally-accepted form of identification must be used as identification to board a commercial flight or visit a secure federal building that requires ID at the door. REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and photo ID cards have been available at the customer’s option since March 2019.

RELATED: PA Real ID: What You Need To Do Now If Flying Next Year

Other forms of ID that will be accepted to fly or get into a federal building include a U.S. passport or a military ID.

“We are pleased that so many Pennsylvanians have been proactive, and have chosen to get their REAL ID,” Secretary of Transportation Leslie S. Richards said. “We encourage our customers who are interested but haven’t yet obtained one to start the process now,”

To get a REAL ID-compliant product, PennDOT must verify the following documents:

• Proof of identity: Original or certified copy of a birth certificate filed with the State Office of Vital Records/Statistics with a raised seal/embossed or valid, unexpired, U.S. passport
• Proof of Social Security Number: Social Security card, in current legal name
• Two proofs of current, physical Pennsylvania address: Current, unexpired Pennsylvania driver’s license or identification card, vehicle registration or a utility bill with the same name and address
• Proof of all legal name changes (if applicable): Certified marriage certificate(s) issued by the County Court for each marriage, court order(s) approving a change in legal name, or amended birth certificate issued by the State Office of Vital Records/Statistics

Customers can bring the required documents to any PennDOT Driver License Center. More information about document requirements, including a printable document checklist, can be found on the Document Check page of the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website.

A REAL ID has a one-time fee of $30, plus a renewal fee. The current renewal fee is $30.50 for a four-year, non-commercial driver’s license, $31.50 for a photo ID.

There are three ways to get a REAL ID:

• If you've been pre-verified, you can order your REAL ID online and receive it in the mail within 15 business days.
• You can visit one of PennDOT’s 63 Driver’s License Centers, have your documents verified, and pay the one-time fee. Your REAL ID will be mailed to you within 15 business days.
• You can visit one of the 12 REAL ID Centers to have documents verified, pay the one-time fee, and receive the REAL ID over the counter at that time.

Of the 12 PennDOT centers, seven are existing driver’s license centers upgraded to allow for over-the-counter issuance of REAL ID: Williamsport, Wilkes-Barre, Rockview in Centre County, Erie, Altoona, Norristown and South 70th Street in Philadelphia.

In addition to those upgraded sites, these five new locations have been added for REAL ID service:

• 1025 Washington Pike, Rt. 50, Bridgeville
• 143 S. Gulph Road, King of Prussia
• 1101 MacArthur Road, Allentown
• 429 North Enola Road, Enola
• 2090 Lincoln Highway East., Lancaster